Pursuing a career as a teacher can give graduates rewards beyond their pay-check by allowing them to help shape the lives of young people. Evelyn Wellenkamp entered the teaching profession in 1973, when she said positions were much harder to come by, thetelegraph.com reports. She remained teaching and counseling classes of children in the same school district until her retirement at the end of the last school year. Despite facing the challenge of "clearing out 35 years of files" from her desk, she says she would cherish the "wonderful feeling" of seeing a "spark" light up in a young mind. "It was always very satisfying when I felt I had been able to help a student grasp a concept, or guide them into the right career choice," she said. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, teachers play a vital role in developing both the academic and social skills of children from preschool to elementary, middle and secondary school levels. Jobs for teachers are expected to grow by 12% between 2006 and 2016, adding another 479,000 to the profession.  |